Viva Las Vegas
by Carol
Summary: Darien and Claire pose as a married couple in Las Vegas to bust a dangerous group of criminals. Will they survive the case and Bobby's wrath?
1. Default Chapter

Viva Las Vegas (1/?)

By Carol M.

Summary: An assignment takes an undercover Darien and Claire to Las Vegas with Bobby along for the ride. Will the dynamic trio be able to survive the case and each other?

Spoilers: Nothing so far

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: UPN where are u? 

Note: This one is a little lighter then the fics I've been writing lately. Lot's of banter, shippiness of the B/C and D/C kind and of course a little good ole fashioned Darien torture (this is me we're talking about after all). So sit back, relax and enjoy the story. And as always, bring a few ropes!

"I-man to Hobbesy, I-man to Hobbesy, come in, over," whispered Darien into the mike of his headset. He was staring at a Mercedes parked in the middle of a downtown alley from his position behind a large dumpster.

"What's your twenty Fawkes?" came the staticky sound of Bobby's voice over the headset.

"Umm, Hobbes, you sure your snitch got this meet right?" asked Darien.

Darien could hear an irritated sigh come through his earpiece. "I'm insulted Fawkes. Hobbesnet doesn't consist of your run of the mill informant, okay," said Bobby. "Each member must pass through a rigorous screening of intelligence and…"

"Okay, okay, I gotcha," interrupted Darien, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "I'm just saying our boy is a little late here."

"Give him time, Fawkes, he'll be there. Trust me," said a confident sounding Bobby through the receiver.

Darien eyed a Cadillac slowly making its way down the alley. "Whoa, whoa, Hobbes, I got someone," he said as he stepped to the edge of the dumpster to get a better look.

"Is it him? Is it him?" Darien heard Bobby anxiously ask.

"I can't tell, I have to get closer," said Darien as he let the cool quicksilver trickle over his skin. He let the disappearing juice completely cover his tall frame and then emerged from behind the dumpster. He walked about ten feet before he excitedly put a hand up to his microphone. "I-man to Hobbesy, we got a ten four on some drug smugglers."

"Easy, just hang back. Don't blow the deal before it goes down," said Bobby.

"Hey, give me some credit here, okay. I know what I'm doing, my friend," whispered Darien as he stepped up to the two cars.

The Mercedes and the Cadillac each had a single driver. From what Darien could tell, both of the drivers were men in their early thirties. The man in the Cadillac casually got out of his car and the Mercedes driver followed suit, nervously hopping out of his own car.

The blonde, heavyset Caddy driver reached into his backseat and pulled out a silver briefcase. He opened it slowly, revealing bags filled with white powder.

"You got the money?" asked the man.

The tall, thin Mercedes driver nodded nervously and reached into his car, pulling out another briefcase. He opened the briefcase and Darien had to fight the urge to whistle in appreciation at the stacks of hundreds lining the metal case. The men each handed their respective briefcases to the other, and each stared in awe at the contents.

"Why do I feel like I'm in the middle of an episode of Miami Vice?" whispered Darien as he reached for the briefcase containing the drugs and quicksilvered it.

Both of the men looked dumbfounded. "What the hell?" said the heavyset man.

"BWM, you're under arrest," said Darien as he reappeared with the briefcase in his hand.

The taller man gave him a startled look and then tore off running to his car. Darien was after him in a flash and tackled the man to the ground. "Hobbes, back up would be nice!" he shouted into his mike as he started to tussle with the perp.

"Way ahead of you Fawkes," came Bobby's voice over the microphone. It was then that Golda appeared at the end of the alleyway, blocking any means of escape.

The other man, who was still staring in shock at the space Darien had appeared from, finally found his feet when he saw the van screeching down the alleyway. He took off in the opposite direction towards a chain link fence.

Bobby was out of Golda in an instant, running after him with his gun drawn. He ran past Darien, who was having a little trouble with the taller man. "Need help there, buddy?" asked Bobby as he ran by.

A punch landed on the side of Darien's face and he was forced against the Mercedes. "No, I got it covered man," said Darien as he dived into the mid-section of the perp and took him to the ground. He punched him in the face and was about to deliver the deathblow to knock him out when the man unexpectedly kicked out at him. The kick caught Darien in the ribs and sent him back into one of the cars. Darien saw stars as his head impacted hard with the side of Mercedes. He came to rest on the ground in a daze, his ears ringing and his head pounding.

The man took his opening and got up, hauling ass towards Golda. Darien shook his head to clear the cobwebs and then picked up the briefcase, which the man had left laying on the ground. Darien threw the briefcase at the perp, catching the man at his feet. The man tripped and fell heavily on the ground. His head impacted hard with the concrete and he was instantly unconscious.

Meanwhile, Bobby was walking back with his own suspect who had been much easier to contain. He led the man to his Cadillac and restrained him with a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket. 

"You okay, partner?" asked Bobby with concern as he eyed Darien kneeling on the ground, holding his head.

Darien gave Bobby a blurry-eyed glance and then proceeded to throw up all over the front tire of the Mercedes. "Just peachy," he said when he was finished vomiting. He wiped his mouth and then exhaled in pain as he leaned back against the car and closed his eyes

**

"That briefcase move was beautiful, Fawkesy. I couldn't have done it better myself," said Bobby from his position next to Darien's chair in the Official's office.

Darien, who was leaned back in his chair with an icepack at the back of his head, smiled weakly. "What can I say? I had a good teacher," he responded.

The Official organized a stack of folders on his desk and then looked at Darien and Bobby with a proud gleam in his eye. "Good work, boys. Our drug dealing friends Michaels and McAdams are rolling over on anything that has two legs."

"Nice," said Darien as he took the icepack off his head and set it in his lap. "So what do you say? A little vacation time to reward us for a job well done," said Darien as he shared an encouraging glance with Bobby and then looked at the Official hopefully.

The Official erupted into laughter. "Vacation? Vacation?" he said incredulously. "That's funny, Fawkes. Actually, the reason I called you in here does involve a little road trip."

Bobby cleared his throat and looked at the Official expectantly. "New case, chief?"

"Why yes, it is a new case. Michaels has alerted us to a little event that will be taking place over the next couple of days. A little event in Las Vegas," said the Official.

Darien's head perked up. "We get to go to Las Vegas?" he asked with excitement.

The Official nodded. "It seems that once a year the members of a very elite group of criminals meet at the Star Inn in Vegas to catch up and plan their criminal antics for the new year. And it just so happens that Mr. Michaels was invited for the first time this year due to his impressive showings in the drug dealing industry," said the Official.

"So we're sending in Michaels to lead us to the bigger fish?" asked Bobby.

"Not exactly. The members of this little organization don't know one another. It is an extremely private process and no one knows who is invited. Mr. Michaels has never actually met anyone in the organization," said the Official as he gave Darien a hearty grin. "So, that leaves Fawkes to take his place."

"You're sending me in undercover?" asked Darien.

"Yes. I need you to infiltrate the organization and find out all you can on what kinds of crimes they are planning. If we get enough evidence, we might be able to take down this organization before it goes on another crime spree," said the Official.

"What part am I playing, sir? Back up?" asked Bobby.

"You will be in charge of security for Mr. Michaels and his wife," said the Official.

"Wife?" said Darien with confusion.

At that moment, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in," said the Official.

Claire emerged through the door, giving Darien and Bobby a smiling nod. "You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked as she looked at the Official curiously.

"Yes, Ms. Keeply, have a seat," said the Official.

Claire sat down in a chair next to Darien and eyed him with concern. "How's your head?" she asked.

"It's okay," he said absently as he looked from Claire to the Official. A look of realization spread across his face. "Oh no," he said suddenly.

The Official smiled widely. "Oh yes," he said with amusement.

"Oh no," said Bobby from his chair. "Chief, this isn't right. I think if anyone is going to be married to Claire, it should be me," he said in an angry tone.

"Married?" said Claire. "What are you talking about?"

"Your country needs you, Keep," said Darien as he gave her a large grin. "Your country needs us to be married. In Las Vegas."

"I don't think so," said Claire in irritation.

"It's an undercover assignment, doctor. I need you to pose as Darien's moll wife. Strictly window dressing," said the Official.

Bobby cleared his throat. "I ask again, why aren't I the one posing undercover?" asked Bobby.

"Because Fawkes is the one with the gland in his head, not you," said the Official.

"Sir, I don't think that Claire belongs in the field. I mean she could get hurt or something. Why not have Monroe do it?" asked Darien.

"Monroe is on special assignment in Paris and won't be back for another week. We need to move now," said the Official firmly as he pounded his fist against the top of his desk.

"Great," said Darien as he slumped into his chair.

Claire gave Darien a sharp look. "What are you saying, Darien? Are you saying that I can't hold my own in the field?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying, I'm just saying that…"

"He's saying that it could be dangerous," finished Bobby.

Claire puffed out her chest. "Well, danger is my middle name."

"Hmm, funny, I always thought it was Marie," responded Darien.

The Official cleared his throat. "All right, enough. Fawkes, Claire, I need you two to meet with Michaels to get some background information. Hobbes, I need you to pack up the van and get it ready to go," said the Official.

"We're leaving today?" asked Darien.

"Does that not give you enough time to pack your hair products, pal?" said Bobby sarcastically.

"You're just jealous, my friend," said Darien smugly. He stood up and threw the icepack he had been holding onto the Official's desk. He stuck out his hand and looked at Claire expectantly. "Shall we, Mrs. Fawkes?"

"Michaels," corrected the Official.

"Oh right, Michaels," said Darien.

Claire rolled her eyes and stood up, ignoring Darien's hand. "Fine," she said curtly. She walked out the door, with Darien following closely behind.

Bobby gave the Official an annoyed stare before he too stood up from his chair. "This is a big mistake chief. She could be in real danger."

"She'll be fine, Bobby. Now go and bust some bad guys," said the Official.

Bobby gave the Official one last stare and then strutted out of the office, slamming the door angrily behind him.

TBC by Wed.


	2. Part 2

Viva Las Vegas (2/?)

By Carol M.

See first part for details

Note: This is gonna get fun. Enjoy!

"All right, kids. Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. Golda is ready for immediate departure," said Bobby from the driver's seat of the van.

"Vegas, baby, Vegas!" shouted Darien with excitement from the back.

Claire rolled her eyes from her position next to Darien, but couldn't help the smile that slowly spread across her face, illustrating her own excitement.

Darien gave her a coy glance and then cleared his throat, causing Claire to glance in his direction. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an impressive looking gold band sprinkled with small diamonds. He waved the ring in front of Claire's face and smiled widely. "Ms. Claire Keeply, do you take me, Darien Fawkes to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I guess," said Claire in a bored tone as she stuck out her hand.

Darien slipped the ring on her finger and looked at her expectantly. "I think this is the part where we kiss," he said slyly.

They both heard a muttered curse coming from the front seat.

Claire crinkled her face in embarrassment. "I don't think so," she said firmly.

Darien shrugged and pulled another ring out of his pocket, slipping it on his own finger. "Hey, I had to try right?"

Claire gave him an awkward smile and then leaned back against the side of the van, closing her eyes.

Darien shuffled towards the front of the van and patted Bobby on the shoulder. "Um, Hobbes, I got a question for you," said Darien.

Bobby raised an eyebrow and turned Golda onto the freeway. "Yes, Fawkes?"

"Well, you know I'm just thinking…won't it look kind of strange if the three of us show up in this hunk of junk van when I'm supposed to be this big time drug dealer?" asked Darien.

"Way ahead of you, Fawkes. We got a car waiting in Vegas. You're gonna make your entrance in style," said Bobby.

Darien snorted. "Yeah, knowing the Official, it's probably the cheapest piece of crap on the lot," said Darien sarcastically.

"Actually, it's a Jaguar. Convertible, two seater, the lap of luxury," replied Bobby casually.

Darien's jaw dropped into his lap. "A Jag? We get a Jag?"

"That's affirmative, my friend. You get the Jag and I'm stuck with Golda here," said Bobby, patting the steering wheel for emphasis.

Darien gave Bobby a toothy grin. "Oh the sacrifices we make for the good of our country," said Darien as he scooted backwards in the van to get some sleep. "Wake me when we get there," said Darien as he positioned his body next to Claire and closed his eyes, trying to ward off the ache that was still pounding from his head.

Bobby sighed and continued on the long drive to Vegas in annoyed silence.

**

Darien whistled when he saw the sleek black Jaguar gleaming before him. He rolled his shoulders to get the kinks out from the long, uncomfortable drive and then a look of child-like glee spread across the features of his face. "Man, I guess I was in the wrong line of work back in my criminal days," he said as he hopped into the front seat of the car and began playing with all the gadgets. He looked up at the car dealer with a curious expression on his face. "Any super spy equipment on this car? You know, oil slicks, rocket launchers, stuff like that?"

Bobby rolled his eyes and set Darien and Claire's luggage in the back of the car. "You're not James Bond, Fawkes and our friend here hardly looks like Q," said Bobby as he glanced at the pimply faced car dealer.

"That's right, I'm Fawkes, Darien Fawkes and I like my Corona stirred, not shaken," said Darien sarcastically. His gaze drifted to Claire, who was watching both Darien and Bobby with amusement. He motioned his hand towards the passenger's seat. "Hop in, Keep, your chariot awaits," he said with a broad grin.

"Don't mind if I do," said Claire as she stepped to the side of the car and opened the door. She slid into the seat and shut the door behind her, admiring the luxuriousness of the car.

Darien looked in the back and saw that all their luggage had been transferred to the Jag. "Star Inn, right Hobbesy?" asked Darien.

"You got it, partner. Just take a right of this lot and go down the strip. The Star Inn should be at the very end according to the map from the Agency," said Bobby.

Darien stuck his thumb up in the air and made a clicking sound with his tongue. "Check," he said as he put the key in the ignition and started the car. The car roared to life as Darien pressed his foot on the gas pedal several times. "Wooo hooo, listen to that engine," he yelled with excitement. "Check you later, partner," said Darien as he peeled out of the parking lot, leaving Bobby and the car dealer staring nervously at the dust trail Darien had left behind him.

Bobby smirked. "Don't worry. If he breaks the car, I'll make sure the repairs come out of his paycheck," said Bobby as he headed towards Golda. He started the van, groaning at the lack of an impressive sound and then carefully pulled out onto the strip to catch up to Darien.

About two blocks ahead of him, Darien and Claire were getting their first glimpse of the strip. The roads were filled with gamblers and vacationers marching anxiously towards their next jackpot. The lights of the many casinos and hotels reflected against the shiny blackness of the car, turning it into a miniature sparkler of sorts.

Darien and Claire glanced at one another, both letting out a slight gasp of awe. "You know, sometimes I love my job," said Darien as he glanced at a casino with a plethora of gorgeous women standing outside.

The women whistled as Darien drove by, checking out not only the car, but its driver as well.

"Some nice ladies in this town," Darien commented innocently.

Claire rolled her eyes. "I think they were hookers," she replied.

"Hey, I will have you know, hookers are people too," said Darien.

They drove on, taking in the expensive cars lining the parking lots of some of the hotels. "Me Elvis, you Ann Margaret," said Darien teasingly to Claire.

"Well, you've certainly got the hairstyle right," said Claire as she glanced in amusement at Darien's hair and noted that it had seemed to grow even bigger in the five minutes they had been driving on the strip.

Darien was about to retort with a witty comment when he spotted the Star Inn. "Oh, oh, there it is," he said, pointing at an elegant looking black sign with the words Star Inn etched in gold letters across it. 

Darien pulled into driveway and parked the car at the entrance to the hotel. A doorman dressed in a black uniform was instantly at their side. "How can I help you, sir?" he asked as he opened the passenger's side door for Claire. Claire stepped out of the car and looked at Darien with slight nervousness.

Darien got out of the car and stepped to the doorman, extending his hand. "Yeah, I'm uh, Roy Michaels and that little buttercup over there is my wife Shirley," responded Darien in a confident tone.

Claire forced a smile and stuck out her hand. The doorman took her hand and kissed it gently. Claire put on her most charming smile as he gently released her hand.

"Yes, Mr. Michaels, we've been expecting you," said the doorman as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an envelope. He handed it to Darien, who eyed it curiously.

"I've been instructed to give you this, sir. It should answer any questions you may have," the doorman responded.

"Thanks man," said Darien as he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a dollar, handing it to the man.

The man eyed the dollar in slight disgust and then put it in his own pocket. "Thank you, sir. Your check in has already been taken care of," said the doorman as he pulled out two keys. "Rooms 501 and 502. A luxury suite with an adjoining economy class suite, as instructed."

Darien took the keys and then glanced towards the street as he saw Bobby pull Golda into the driveway. "Oh yeah, that's my security dude," Darien pointed out as Bobby parked the van behind the Jaguar and quickly got out.

The doorman eyed the van in horror. "I see," he said.

Bobby walked towards the doorman and stuck out his hand. "James Burnett, head of security for Mr. Michaels," he said.

The doorman nodded as he shook Bobby's hand. "Lovely van you got there."

Bobby tilted his head. "What can I say, it gets great mileage."

"Right," said the doorman awkwardly. "We'll take care of your luggage and your cars. Why don't you go upstairs and check out your rooms."

"Sounds like a plan," said Darien as he stuck out his arm and raised an eyebrow towards Claire. "Muffin?"

Claire smiled awkwardly and then stepped forward, taking Darien's arm. Together, the pair walked through the shiny glass doors of the hotel with Bobby following close behind.

The trio made their way through the lobby and it immediately became clear to Darien that the Star Inn was no ordinary hotel. Everyone seemed to be dressed in either tuxedos or Paris's finest. Clearly, his tan jacket, white T-shirt and old jeans were a little out of place, while Bobby and Claire, both dressed in elegant looking business attire fit the bill to a tee.

They continued on, see that the ceiling was lined with sparkling chandeliers that seemed to reflect every color of the rainbow. The floors were covered in a lush forest green carpet that looked brand new and the walls were covered in expensive looking paintings and pictures of celebrities that had been guests at the hotel.

The trio passed by the casino, which was bustling with people, noise and color and then they passed a five-star restaurant with such advertised dishes as lobster and escargot.

"Pinch me, I'm dreaming," said Darien as the group stopped in front of a bank of shiny gold elevators.

Bobby smirked and pressed the up button. "Relax Fawkes. It's just a little glitz and glamour, all for show. Don't let it go to your head."

"Too late," said Darien as the elevator door opened and an old stocky man dressed in a Star Inn uniform greeted them.

"Going up?" he asked with a large grin.

"Yes," said Claire with an elegant smile as she let Darien lead her into the elevator. "Floor five."

"Very well, miss," said the elevator operator as he shut the doors and pushed the floor five button.

"Mrs.," said Darien. "That's a married woman you're talking to," he said..

Bobby rolled his eyes.

"Of course, sir," said the operator.

The group stood in silence as the elevator made its ascent to the fifth, listening in annoyance to the Muzak playing in the background.

When the doors opened on the fifth floor, Darien pulled a dollar out of his pocket and handed it to the elevator operator.

"Oh, thank you, sir," said the man.

"Nice tip, Fawkes," whispered Bobby as the trio stepped off the elevator.

"What?" asked Darien innocently.

Bobby shook his head. "Never mind."

"Oh, oh guys, there's our rooms," said Claire with excitement as she eyed rooms 501 and 502 down the hall.

The trio walked to the doorways with muted anticipation. Darien pulled out the keys and handed one to Bobby. "See you in a few, Fawkes," said Bobby as he successfully opened his door and disappeared inside his room.

Darien stepped into the doorway of his and Claire's room and slipped the keycard inside the slot. "Let's see what we've got here," said Darien as he pushed the door open. He gasped in surprise when he saw their suite.

The room was done in an elegant looking gold, the rich color sparkling on practically every piece of furniture. There was a huge queen-sized bed, a long gold couch, a big screen TV, a stereo and a kitchen complete with a bar. The bathroom contained a beautiful glass shower along with a marble Jacuzzi.

Darien walked through the room and opened the glass doors that led to the balcony. He stepped out and whistled at the view, which overlooked into a courtyard filled with flowers and a huge fountain. He stepped back in the room and nodded in appreciation. "Wow," he said.

"I'll say," said Claire as she spotted a huge gift basket sitting on the counter of the kitchen. She picked up the card and read it aloud. "To Mr. and Mrs. Michaels, enjoy your stay."

"Nice," said Darien as he reached into the basket pulled out a bottle of Kristal champagne. "Hello Las Vegas," said Darien as he opened the seal and popped the cork, causing champagne to bubble over the side. He found some glasses and poured each of them a glass.

"To our marriage, may it end as soon as possible in divorce," said Darien as he tapped glasses with Claire and took a generous swig.

"I'll drink to that," said Claire as she took a sip from her glass. "Oh that's good," she exclaimed.

"Well, there's plenty more where that came from," said Darien as he pulled two more bottles out of the basket.

"Nice digs, Mr. Michaels," said Bobby as he entered the room from the adjoining door. Darien and Claire turned to their side and saw Bobby giving the room the once over.

Darien held up the champagne. "Some bubbly, Mr. Burnett?" asked Darien.

"Don't mind if I do," said Bobby.

Darien poured him a glass and another for himself. They both quickly gulped down their glasses of the sparkling alcohol.

Darien set down his glass and reached into his pocket. "Okay, enough play, let's get down to business," he said as he pulled out the envelope the doorman had given him. He opened the envelope and pulled out a single piece of paper. "Mr. Michaels, please join us for a late black tie dinner on the terrace. All guests are welcome. Ten o'clock sharp," he read aloud.

Darien checked his watch, seeing it was nearly 8:30. "Well kids, I guess its time to start getting ready for this shindig."

Claire gave Darien and Bobby a devilish grin. "Let our vacation begin."

TBC


	3. Part 3

Viva Las Vegas (3/?)

By Carol M.

See first part for details

Note: So after seeing The New Stuff, I have concluded that this story takes place sometime in the third season. Sorry it's been taking a long time to get these parts out, but I've been busy with life and trying to combat depression over the Invisible Man. It's hard to write fun stuff when you're totally bummed out. Anyway, hopefully I've gotten over this little bout of writer's block. Enjoy the next part folks!

An hour and fifteen minutes later, Claire emerged from her luxury bathroom in a tight black dress with thin spaghetti straps. Her hair was up in a thick twist, which accented a pair of diamond stud earrings twinkling from her earlobes.

Darien, who had been adjusting his tuxedo and fixing his hair, turned his head to look at her when he heard the bathroom door open. His eyes widened and he let out a catcall of approval. "Well, you're looking mighty fine this evening Mrs. Michaels," he said with a toothy grin.

Claire blushed slightly and then checked out Darien's own appearance, nodding her head slightly. "Thanks. You're looking pretty handsome yourself Mr. Michaels."

Darien pointed at his tux. "This old thing? Naw," he said teasingly. He walked over to the adjoining door to Bobby's room and knocked loudly. "Hey Hobbesy, you almost ready there?"

The door opened, revealing a fetching Bobby Hobbes dressed in his own perfectly tailored tuxedo. He took a glimpse of Claire and his face flushed a light crimson. "You look beautiful, Claire," he said sincerely.

Claire smiled widely, revealing dimples on either cheek. "Thank you. You look quite nice too, Bobby," she responded. She glanced at Darien and then glanced back at Bobby. "Now I've got two handsome men to escort me to our little soiree."

Darien nudged Bobby on the shoulder. "See man, she thinks were handsome."

Bobby smiled and nodded. "You two ready to leave?"

"Yep," answered Darien.

Claire stuck out both her arms. "Gentlemen?"

Darien and Bobby each grabbed one of Claire's arms and the partners proceeded down to the first floor with a glamorous Claire tucked in between them.

When they got to the first floor, they glanced nervously towards a large terrace where they could make out a round table with several older men and women sitting around it. As they got closer, Darien couldn't stifle the anxious chuckle that came out of his mouth "Are they filming a remake of Goodfellas here that I don't know about?" he whispered.

Bobby gave Darien a sharp look and shook his head in annoyance. "It's show time, my friend," he whispered.

The trio made their way on to the terrace, causing the men and women around the table to look up.

"Mr. Michaels?" asked a stocky man in his late fifties who was dressed in a fine looking tuxedo.

Darien nodded and extended his hand. "Roy Michaels," he said as he shook the man's hand.

"John Sabattini," replied the man with a smile as he let go of Darien's hand. "We've heard quite a lot about you."

Darien shrugged. "I wish I could say the same."

"Oh you will, don't worry," said John. He nodded towards an attractive redhead sitting to his left. "This is my wife, Kathy."

Kathy gave Darien an electric smile. "Pleasure," she said in a sweet voice.

Darien gave Claire a slight push forward. "This is my wife, Shirley," he said. He nodded towards Bobby. "And this guys is James Burnett."

Bobby nodded his head in John's direction. "I'm Mr. Michaels security consultant," he added.

"How nice," said John. "There's a table for bodyguards over there," he said as he pointed to a smaller table to their right that was filled with beefy, bouncer looking men.

Darien gave Bobby a sly grin. "Go make some friends, Hob…Burnett."

Bobby smirked and then slinked off towards the other table.

John cleared his throat and looked anxiously at Darien. "Roy, can I call you Roy?"

Darien nodded.

John pointed to a skinny brown-haired man in his forties sitting on his right. "This is Jonathan Spencer and that gorgeous blonde next to him is his wife Tracey," said John as Jonathan and Tracey smiled at Darien.

"Hey, how you doing?" replied Darien.

John continued. "And next to him is Ray Armada." The nerdy bald man smiled shyly at Darien. Darien nodded his head.

" And next to him is Judy and Marvin Kinney," said John, nodding towards an older man and woman. "And finally, we have Jack Hastings," he said as he pointed towards a blonde-haired man in his early thirties.

"Nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Michaels," said Judy.

Claire nodded her head politely and Darien did the same.

"You too," said Darien. His gaze landed on Jack and for a split second, he swore he recognized him from somewhere. Then the strange sensation disappeared and Darien shrugged it off.

"Looking forward to doing business with you," said Jack with cold, searching eyes.

"Likewise," said Darien.

"Why don't you two have a seat, Mr. Michaels," said John.

Darien stepped to the table and pulled out a chair next to Jack for Claire. He sat her down and then took the seat next to her. He looked at John with anticipation. "So uh, what exactly are we going to be doing at this little convention?" asked Darien.

"A little this, a little that, you know how is goes. But enough shoptalk for tonight. Let's just try and enjoy the meal," said John as he picked up a champagne bottle and held it towards Darien.

Darien took the champagne and poured some for himself and Claire.

"I hope you two enjoyed the gift basket in your room, Mr. Michaels," said Judy. "I picked it all out myself."

Claire glanced over at her and nodded her head in appreciation. "Yes, we did, thank you. It was lovely."

"So uh, where are you all from?" asked Darien.

John cleared his throat awkwardly. "We prefer to keep that to ourselves, Roy. The less we know about one another, the better."

"Oh right, I get it," said Darien. He looked at Claire and gave her a confused glance. "So uh..uh...

A roar of laughter from the other table interrupted the awkward attempt at conversation. The group glanced over at the other table and saw Bobby standing up on his chair, seeming to beat the crap out of someone who wasn't there. "Yeah, yeah and then after that, I kicked the punk out onto the street. That was the last time he ever gave me any lip. Nobody messes with James Burnett, my friends," he said as he stepped down from the chair and pounded his chest with his fists. 

The men once again roared in laughter. Darien glanced at Claire and rolled his eyes. Claire smiled in amusement.

"Well, it seems like Mr. Burnett has made some new friends," said John.

"That's our James, always getting into trouble wherever he goes," said Darien. "Isn't that right, sweetie?" he said as he put his arm around her.

"Yes, honey," said Claire through clenched teeth.

Darien pulled his arm away and took a wealthy swig of his champagne, finishing off the glass. He reached for the bottle and poured another glass.

The night went on, filled with lobster tails, steak and lots of champagne for Darien. By the time, it was midnight, Darien had had seven glasses, which was about six too many glasses for Claire. Darien was in the middle of an obnoxious story about his first criminal act when Claire stood up from the table in annoyance. "It's getting late, I think I'm going to turn in," said Claire.

Darien pulled her back down into the chair. "Oh come on, Shir, the night is still young. Give me a little sugar," he said as he leaned in and pressed a wet kiss against her lips.

Claire backed away in anger. "Honey, what did I tell you about that," she said, barely suppressing her anger.

Darien glanced at the rest of the table, noticing 16 pairs of eyes staring at him. He looked back at Claire and gave her a full on puppy dog eye glance. "Just give me little kiss, baby," he said as he leaned back towards her and started to kiss her hard, slipping his tongue between her lips.

"Stop it, Roy," she said in a muffled voice against his lips.

Darien ignored her and kept kissing her, working his hand through her hair.

At this point, Bobby turned around from the other table and gazed at Darien and Claire, jealousy raging from his eyes. But Darien was too busy kissing Claire to noticed.

"Darien, stop it," Claire whispered into his ear.

Darien pulled her even closer and continued to kiss her.

Claire pulled harshly out of his grip and slapped him across the face as hard as she could. Then she got out of her chair and ran out of the room in a huff.

The slap managed to sober Darien up slightly and he realized what he had been doing. "Claire," he shouted as he watched her run out of the room.

"Claire?" said John in confusion.

"Ah, yeah, it's her middle name," he said distractedly as he stood up from his chair. "Um, I think I'm going to call it a night too," he said in John's direction.

"Okay, we'll send someone up with information about tomorrow. It will be a very important day, don't be late," said John in a slightly annoyed tone.

Darien nodded. "Thanks man," he said as he quickly walked out of the room.

Bobby was on his heels in a heartbeat. He grabbed Darien by the jacket and turned him around. "What the hell was that, Fawkes?" he yelled.

"Drunken stupidity or drunken genius, take your pick," slurred Darien.

Bobby gave him the evil eye and then brought his knee up sharply into Darien's groin. Darien fell to the floor in a pain filled heap. Bobby stood over him, shaking his head. "You're being a jerk, Fawkes. If I ever see you do that again, I'm going to kick your skinny ass."

Darien moaned and clutched his stomach, which was starting to ache with pain and nausea. "Hobbes," he whimpered.

"What?" asked Bobby in anger.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," he whispered.

"Damn it, Fawkes," said Bobby as he quickly hauled Darien to his feet and dragged him to the men's room. He tossed him into a stall and then shut the door, leaning his back against the elegant marble of the stall door. He could hear Darien puking and dry heaving and it was starting to make him reconsider the seconds he had had for dessert. "Serves you right, punk, I'll be outside," said Bobby as he dashed out of the bathroom.

Five minutes later, Darien emerged from the bathroom looking sweaty and pale. He gave Bobby an apologetic glance. "Sorry, buddy. I was out of line," he said softly.

Bobby crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not the one you need to apologize to pal," responded Bobby.

Darien looked down at his feet. "Yeah," he said sheepishly.

Bobby nodded towards the elevators. "Go and make good with the Keep. I'll go back to our criminal friends and see if I can't get a little intel."

Darien nodded. "Okay," he said as he started for the elevators. He stopped and turned back to look at Bobby. "Hobbes," he shouted after Bobby.

Bobby turned around. "Yeah Fawkes."

"Watch out for Hastings. There's something up with that guy," said Darien.

"Bobby Hobbes has got it covered, my friend," said Bobby as he turned around and headed back to the terrace.

Darien made his way into the elevator, giving a slight nod to the elevator man. When he got up to the fifth floor, he tipped the guy five bucks and stepped out of the car. He put his hands in his pockets and walked to his room.

"Claire," he said as he knocked softly on the door. "It's Darien. Can I come in?"

There was no response.

"Claire, I'm sorry. I was a jerk," he said as he leaned his head against the door. A wave of vertigo swept through him and he nearly lost his footing. "Claire let me in, please, I think I'm gonna pass out."

The door opened then, revealing Claire who was dressed in a silk nightgown. Darien would have fallen through the door if Claire hadn't have reached her arms out to catch him. "Darien," she said in a tone that was a combination of anger and worry.

"I'm sorry," he said as she led him over to the couch.

Claire set him down on the couch and brought over a blanket from the bed, draping it over him. "That'll teach you, Darien. Are you going to be sick?" she asked.

Darien shook his head. "Naw, I already took care of that," he said as he lay back against the couch and tried to relax. His stomach suddenly did a flip-flop and his eyes shot Clairea look of panic. "Oh crap, maybe not," he said as he put a hand over his mouth and ran to the bathroom. He dropped in front of the toilet and vomited again, bracing against the floor on his hands and knees. 

Sometime later after the vomiting had stopped, he felt someone rubbing his back and wiping his face with a damp cloth. He looked up at Claire with a miserable expression on his face. "How do you put up with me?" he asked.

Claire smiled. "Because the Official pays me a lot of money to take care of you," she said as she helped him to his feet. "Let's get you to the couch so you can sleep this off."

"No arguments here," said Darien as his eyes started to close. He let Claire guide him back to the couch and then collapsed into it, pulling the blankets over his body. He looked up at her with the puppy dog eyes. "I'm sorry about everything, you know that right?"

"I know," she said. "It wasn't all bad," she added mysteriously.

"Oh really?" said Darien.

Claire gave him a smug expression. "Wouldn't you like to know," she said slyly.

"I would actually," said Darien.

Claire patted him on the shoulder and walked towards the bed. "Go to sleep, I'm sure our new friends have big plans for you tomorrow," she said as she crawled into bed.

"Goodnight," said Darien.

"Night," said Claire as she buried herself under the covers and closed her eyes.

All was silent in the room for several minutes. Claire was about to drift into a deep sleep, but Darien couldn't seem to relax. Finally, he sat up on the couch and looked over at the bed. "Claire?"

A muffled groan was his response.

"Are you awake?" he asked.

Claire sat up in bed. "What?" she asked in an irritated tone.

"Something's funny with this whole thing," said Darien.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"That Hastings guy. I got this weird vibe from him," he said.

"It was probably the alcohol," said Claire. "Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Okay," said Darien. "Goodnight," he said.

"Uh huh," responded Claire with a yawn as she cuddled back up in her bed.

"Claire," said Darien.

"Oh bloody hell, what now?" said Claire in anger.

"You look good in black," he said teasingly.

Claire threw a pillow at him in anger.

It hit Darien squarely on the head. "Hey, watch the hair."

"Go to sleep, Darien or I will be forced to sedate you," replied Claire in a forceful tone.

"Fine," said Darien as he took off his coat and shirt. He lay back down in his undershirt and pants and covered himself with the blanket. He sank against the pillow and tried desperately to place Jack Hastings in his mind. But the answer never came that night and instead, he fell into a dizzying, drunken sleep.

TBC by Wed or Thurs. After that, I'll get my ass in gear and start posting a part a day.


	4. Part 4

Viva Las Vegas (4/?)

By Carol M.

See first part for details

Enjoy it, kiddies! I'll try my hardest to get the next part out sometime tomorrow night.

Darien awoke the next morning to the smell of fresh coffee. He rolled over and put a pillow over his head, trying to ignore the throbbing pain that had invaded his brain. He was never going to drink again.

"Rise and shine, Darien," he heard Claire say in a voice that was much too bubbly for his taste.

"Ughhhh," was Darien's muffled response as he pulled the covers over his entire body to hide from Claire and whomever else wanted to interrupt his descent into hangover hell.

He quickly felt the covers being yanked from his body. "Come on, Fawkes, time to wake up and play with the big boys," he heard the voice of his partner urge.

"Don't wanna," he mumbled into his pillow.

"Too bad, Fawkesy," said Bobby as he ripped the pillow from Darien's head.

Darien growled in anger and sat up, his hair stuck up in a million different directions. His face was wan and pale and his eyes were bloodshot, reminding Claire and Bobby both of QSM.

"Aww, does Fawkesy have an upset tummy?" asked Bobby sarcastically.

Darien rolled his eyes and dragged himself off the couch. He drudged to the bathroom and slammed the door dramatically behind him.

He emerged nearly twenty minutes later, looking a little more human. His hair slick and styled, his day old stubble had been shaved and his face had begun to regain some of its color. He padded towards his suitcase and pulled out a pair of khakis, his orange polo shirt and a pair of briefs.

He glanced at Claire and blushed slightly. "Um, can you maybe turn around here?" he asked awkwardly.

"No problem," said Claire. 

Bobby took a look in Darien's direction and when he realized he was about to see Darien's naked rear, he too turned around with a look of horror and disgust on his face.

"Okay, I'm dressed," said Darien a few seconds later. He pulled out some sneakers and socks and quickly put them on his feet. Then he stepped over to the kitchen counter and poured himself a glass of the delicious smelling coffee.

Bobby and Claire joined him at the chairs surrounding the counter.

"So did you here any good criminal gossip last night, Hobbesy?" asked Darien as he took a sip of the coffee.

Bobby smiled smugly and poured himself a cup as well. "As a matter of fact, I did. Turns out our friend Hastings is a gunrunner. Does that ring any bells?"

"No," said Darien as he shook his head. " I'm drawing a blank here, man. Anything else?"

"Assorted tales of crime and mayhem, but nothing solid. It's all up to you my see through friend," said Bobby.

"Great," said Darien as he took another swig of his coffee. He gazed at Claire curiously. "Any word on what my plans are for today, wifey?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," said Claire as she picked an envelope off the counter and handed it to Darien. "It came right before we woke you up. Along with these," said Claire as she fingered a pair of glittery earrings hanging from her earlobes.

"Nice. I see you're enjoying the perks off being my wife there, Keep," said Darien as he opened the envelope and peaked inside. He read the enclosed letter and then glanced at Bobby and Claire with a slight look of panic on his face. "Aw crap," he said.

"What, what?" asked Bobby as he snatched the letter from Darien and started to read. "Mr. Michaels, please join the party on the golf course at 11 a.m. sharp. Leave Shirley and James behind. J." He gave Darien a look of confusion. "What's the problem?" asked Bobby.

"Oh I don't know, maybe it's that I have no idea how to play golf. I'm gonna look like an idiot out there," said Darien.

Claire smiled. "Darien, please, I really don't think they're going to care if you can play a good game of golf or not. Besides, while everyone's occupied, Bobby and I can do a little snooping around in some of their rooms," she said with enthusiasm.

"Wow, Keep I'm impressed. That sounds so devious," said Darien teasingly.

Bobby nodded. "Maybe we can find some concrete evidence against these Armani wearing crooks. You might want to cut out of the game early, Fawkes. We might need your unique B and E skills," he said, glancing over at Darien.

Darien nodded and set down his cup. "Sounds like a plan," he said as he stood up from his chair at the counter. He motioned to his clothes. "Am I dressed okay?"

Claire looked him up and down and nodded her head in approval. "Classic, with a little color thrown in for fun. It's perfect."

"All right, well I should get going," said Darien as he looked at his watch and saw that it was 10:30. "How bout I cut out on the golf game at 12:30 and meet you guys in the lobby."

"You got it, partner," said Bobby. "Have a good game. Just remember to follow through on your swing."

Darien smirked and then walked out the door.

**

Darien nervously stepped onto the tee of the first hole of the golf course, carrying a heavy bag of clubs he had rented from the sports shop. He saw John, Jack, Ray, Marvin and Jonathan practicing their swings, all looking like professional golfers. He looked around and saw that they seemed to be the only players on the large golf course.

"Golf go out of style this season or what?" said Darien as he stepped next to John.

John set down his golf club and smiled. "No, I had the course shut down for just us. Better for private conversations that way."

"Wow, you had them shut down the whole golf course? That's pretty cool, man," said Darien as he took out a golf club and a ball.

"It's one of the perks of being the owner," said John.

"Oh, so you own this place?" said Darien as he set down the ball and began swinging the club haphazardly through the air.

John nodded and picked up his club. "Yes, that's right," he replied as he set down a ball and swung solidly at the ball with the club. The ball flew into the air and disappeared far out into the distance.

Darien glanced awkwardly at John and then attempted to copy his movements. He cleared his mind to concentrate and then gave the ball a whack with the club. The ball went all of five feet before it stopped lazily on the grass. Darien's face turned a light shade of crimson. "Guess I'm a little out of practice," he said.

"It's okay, you'll get you're game back," said John. He cleared his throat and looked at the others. "Gentlemen, shall we start?"

The others nodded and picked up their golf bags, hauling them towards the tee-off for the first hole. Darien followed suit and began lugging his bag behind them with John walking beside him. 

"So Roy, I'm been hearing all about your impressive drug connections. I'm wondering if maybe I can't get in on the action," said John.

"You mean like a partnership?" asked Darien.

"I was thinking more along the lines of you introducing me to your source and acting as a middle man in certain situations. You would make a hefty cut of whatever deals we make," said John.

Darien nodded. "Yeah, I could get in on that. My cut would have to be large."

"Well that goes without saying," said John. "You see Roy, I'm trying to invest in the future here, build a nest egg. With your drugs, Jack's guns and Ray and Marvin's business connections, I think it could be a good year for all of us, don't you think?"

"Yeah, man, maybe I'll be getting Shirley that Porsche after all," said Darien.

"Exactly, Roy. We're all businessmen here. We just deal in commodities other than stocks and bonds. The risk might be a little higher, but so is the payoff," said John.

The group reached the tee-off and set down their bags. "So what do you say, Roy? Do we have a deal?" asked John.

Darien nodded and stuck out his hand. "Deal," he said as he grasped John's hand and gave it a firm shake.

"That's what I like to hear," said John as he set down his bag. He smiled and nodded towards the tee. "You're first, Roy."

"Oh goodie," Darien whispered to himself. He looked at the other men, who were staring at him expectantly. He swallowed nervously and then pulled out a club and a ball. "Okay, swing and follow through," he whispered to himself. 

He set down the ball and took a few practice swings with the club. Then he eyed the flag for the first hole that seemed to be miles away. "Here goes nothing," he said as he swung the club against the ball as hard as he could and tried to follow through on the entire stroke. The ball sailed through the air, coming to land almost halfway towards the hole.

Darien started jumping up and down in the air. "Wooo hooo," he shouted as he swung his club excitedly through the air.

The men began clapping in appreciation. Darien took a small bow and then stepped back into the group, settling next to Jack.

"Looks like prison didn't effect your game, Mr. Michaels," said Jack as they watched John prepare to take his turn.

Darien glanced at Jack curiously. "Do I know you?" he asked.

Jack smiled mysteriously. "Let's just say that I know a lot about you."

Darien stepped closer to the man. "Like what?" he asked, his heart thumping loudly in his ears.

Jack shrugged. "Like your time at Northfield Penitentiary for instance. You went down for possession 10 years ago. Did five years," said Jack.

"Oh yeah, that," said Darien, his rapid heartbeat starting to ease. "It was a stupid mistake. I've learned to be more careful in my old age."

Jack grinned. "I'm sure."

"So how is it you know so much about me?" asked Darien.

"I make it a point to know everything about my fellow employees," said Jack.

Darien opened his mouth to ask Jack about his own background, when a series of cheers stopped him. He looked across the course and saw the ball John had hit was only inches away from the green.

"Nice swing, Mr. Sabattini," said Jack.

John took a bow. "Thank you very much gentlemen. Jack, you're up."

"Excuse me," said Jack as he gave Darien a slightly smug grin and stepped to the tee.

Darien sighed in frustration and watched Jack take his swing.

An hour later, the game was in full gear and Darien was about to kill himself. He hadn't gotten another word out of Jack and everyone else was talking about golf, nothing even remotely incriminating. It was time to make like a tree and get out of there.

Darien started wiping his forehead and swaying about slightly. He stuck a hand across his stomach and groaned.

"You all right, Roy?" asked John as he noticed Darien's plight.

Darien put a hand to his forehead. "Actually, I'm feeling a little sick here. I think the alcohol and sun are starting to catch up with me," he said weakly. "I think I need to lie down for awhile."

John nodded his head. "Sure Roy," he said as he looked at the other men. " Hey, does someone want to take Roy back to his room," he shouted. He looked back at Darien. "We don't want you passed out cold somewhere."

Darien shook his head violently. "No, that's okay. I'll be fine."

Jack stepped next to Darien. "I'll help him back to his room, Mr. Sabattini."

Darien began to panic. "No, really it's all right."

"I insist," said Jack.

John nodded gratefully and looked at Darien. "We'll be meeting tonight at 8 o'clock in the casino, Roy. Please join us if you're feeling up to it. I'll see to it that your clubs are returned to the sports club.

"Thanks sir," said Darien as he eyed Jack uneasily.

He began walking off the course with Jack close behind. He had to ditch Jack as soon as possible. When he spotted a bathroom up ahead, he knew he had his chance.

"Oh god," he said as he clutched his stomach. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Jack looked at him in disgust and pointed towards the bathroom. Darien sprinted towards the men's room, eyeing several older gentlemen coming in and out. 

"I'll just wait outside," shouted Jack after him as Darien disappeared inside the restroom.

Darien quickly went into a stall and let the quicksilver flow over his skin. Then he opened the door and walked undetected out of the bathroom, passing by Jack's wandering eye as quickly as possible.

Once he got far enough away, he dropped the quicksilver and headed towards the lobby to meet Claire and Bobby.

**

Bobby checked his watch for the twentieth time in as many minutes. "Fawkes, where the hell are you?" he whispered out loud.

Claire gave him a worried glance as she checked the lobby for any sign of Darien. "You don't think anything has happened to him, do you?"

Bobby shrugged. "With Fawkesy, you never can tell."

"Guys!" they heard someone shout.

They turned around and saw Darien dashing towards them.

"Sorry," he panted apologetically when he reached them. "I had to ditch our friend, Hastings. He was on babysitting duty. Did you guys find anything?"

"We got some guns in the head honcho's room. Other than that, nothing. We couldn't get into Marvin or Jonathan's room because their chicks were in there," said Bobby.

"Along with their security guards," added Claire.

"What about Hastings? Did you get in there?" asked Darien.

"No, we were waiting for you," said Claire.

Bobby glanced at Darien. "What about you, Fawkes? Did you get anything?" asked Bobby.

"Well, Sabattini asked me if I wanted to be his partner in the drug trade. We shook on the deal. Does that count for anything?" asked Darien.

"Not unless there was a wad of hundreds in his hand, my friend," said Bobby.

"Great," said Darien.

"We gotta catch these guys in the act of something…anything," said Bobby.

"This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it," said Darien sarcastically.

Bobby nodded grimly. "I'm gonna call Eberts, see if I can get some info on these guys. Maybe there'll be something we can use."

Claire nodded. "Yeah, and while you do that, Darien and I can search Hastings' room," she offered.

Darien gave her a strange glance. "You sure about that, Keep? It could be dangerous."

Claire sighed. "Guys, I can handle it okay. Now let's get up there before he comes back."

Bobby nodded. "All right. Be careful. Meet back here in twenty." 

**

"Well, I guess we're not the only ones with a luxury suite, honey," said Darien as he glanced around Jack's room after they had successfully broken in through the door. The suite was nearly identical to Darien and Claire's.

Claire began sorting carefully through Jack's suitcase, while Darien busied himself going through the closet and drawers.

After a few minutes, it became clear there was nothing to find. "Well this has been a big fat zero," said Darien from the bathroom, where he was checking out his reflection in the mirror.

"I'll say," said Claire. She walked over to the entertainment center and began looking through the cabinets. A sudden noise at the door caused her to turn around in a panic. "Darien, I think he's back!" she whispered urgently. She started to run towards Darien so he could quicksilver her, but quickly realized that she didn't have enough time. Instead, she dived under the bed just as the door opened.

Darien stepped out of the bathroom and quickly let the quicksilver flow over himself. He stared in black and white horror as Jack entered the room and sat down on the bed, effectively blocking any way for him to get to Claire without Jack noticing.

TBC


	5. Part 5

Viva Las Vegas (5/?)

By Carol M.

See first part for details

Note: Spoilers for Liberty and Larceny in this part. Little Darien torture ahead. Get the ropes ready! Enjoy! I'll try to get the next part out tomorrow hopefully.

Darien could see Claire staring in his direction from under the bed with a look of absolute panic on her face, her expression begging for rescue. He watched as Jack began rooting through the nightstand next to his bed desperately. Darien thought fast. He turned around to look in the bathroom and saw a mountain of bath products sitting on the counter.

He dashed inside the luxury bathroom and swept all of the bath products onto the floor. It made a loud crash, which was exactly what Darien had been hoping for. Jack was off the bed and in the bathroom in a matter of seconds to check out the source of the sound. In the meantime, Darien slipped past him and ran to the bed to help Claire. He stuck out his arm and touched her hand, willing the quicksilver to cover her as quickly as possible.

They both breathed a silent sigh of relief when Claire was rendered invisible, emitting a soft purple light visible only in Darien's quicksilver vision. He quickly and quietly joined her under the bed to avoid colliding into Jack if he decided to come back over to the bed. 

Jack came out of the bathroom muttering a confused curse and then began rooting around in the drawer next to the bed again. After a few moments, he found a slip of paper and put it in his pocket, nodding in satisfaction. Then he walked out the door of the suite and slammed it behind him.

The quicksilver was shed almost instantly, leaving Darien and Claire panting in relief. "Holy crap that was close," whispered Darien.

Claire nodded in agreement. "Too close," she said.

Darien scooted out from under the bed, and then stuck his hand out to help Claire out. They both stood in silence for a moment, trying to calm down.

"Lobby?" offered Claire.

"Lobby," answered Darien.

They quickly walked to the door and opened it, peering outside to make sure the hallways were empty. Then they slipped out of the room, unaware of the glittery earring left laying beside the bed.

**

"Did you find anything?" asked Bobby eagerly ten minutes later in the lobby.

"Nope. Almost got caught though," said Darien.

"Caught? Damn it, Fawkes, I told you it was dangerous," said Bobby as he glanced at Claire with worry.

Claire gave him a large grin. "Oh Bobby, we're fine. It was actually kind of exciting," she said as she glanced at Darien. "Darien saved the day."

Darien looked down at his feet, blushing slightly. "It was nothing, really."

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Well while you were playing night in shining armor up there, Eberts supplied me a few interesting tidbits about our friend Mr. Sabattini. Seems that this hotel is going bankrupt. He's losing money real quick. So that makes this little Te tat Te all the more important for him."

"Nice," said Darien. "Almost feel sorry for the guy."

"Don't, Fawkes. The guy is scum. He's been implicated in two dozen murders in the last year as well as several robberies. He's going down my friend," said Bobby.

"What about Hastings? Any dirt?" asked Darien.

"Nope. The guy's Mr. Clean. No prison records, no arrests, nada," said Bobby. "Look partner, we gotta take down these guys now before they make us. Something tells me if they find out we're Feds, we're gonna be leaving this place in body bags."

"Ouch," said Darien in a slightly scared tone.

Several hours later

"Bloody hell," came Claire's voice from the bathroom.

"What? What is it?" asked Darien from his position on the bed. 

"I lost one of my earrings," she said in a disappointed tone. 

"Well when this case is over and we get a big, fat bonus, I'll buy you a new pair," offered Darien.

Claire stepped out of the bathroom in a glamorous red dress, with her hair loose and curly over her shoulders. She did a small turn in front of him. "What do you think?" she asked nervously.

Darien's jaw dropped to the floor. "Wow…I'm…I'm speechless," said Darien. "You make me look like some washed up old guy," he said as he examined the tux that hung from his lanky frame.

Claire smiled wickedly. "Hardly, Darien."

Bobby suddenly barged through his adjoining door in a nervous frenzy. "Okay, okay, let's go. Gotta get downstairs and bust us some criminals…whoa," he said as he stopped short and stared at Claire. "You gotta change," said Bobby after a few moments.

"What?" asked Claire in surprise.

Darien gave Bobby a look of confusion. "She looks great, Hobbesy, what's the problem?"

Bobby gave Darien a pointed stare. "That's exactly the problem, Fawkes, she looks too good. Those greasy perps will be all over her down there."

Claire smiled. "I think I can handle it, Bobby," she said in an amused tone.

"Don't worry, Hobbes, I'll make sure they all keep their mitts off my woman," said Darien.

Bobby raised an eyebrow. "Your woman?" he said in anger.

"Guys, let's get downstairs," said Claire, trying to stop the fight that seemed to be brewing.

"Okay," said Darien as he held out his arm for Claire.

Claire grasped it tightly and then the pair walked out the door with Bobby following behind.

They made their way down the elevators, through the lobby and finally into the casino. The casino was bustling with activity. The slots were ringing in high gear with bright lights and the sounds of coins pouring out of them. Hundreds of green felt tables with games such as Poker, Blackjack and Roulette were crowded with ritzy looking people. Near the back of the casino, Darien could make out John sitting alone at a table near the bar.

"Over there," he pointed. The trio walked through the casino, looking every bit as elegant and rich as everyone else in the room. The heads of practically every male in the place turned as Claire walked by, causing Bobby to scowl jealously at all of them. 

As Darien passed by one of the poker tables, he couldn't resist the urge to snatch a few chips when he saw two huge stacks of $100 and $500 dollar chips sitting on the edge of the table. He quicksilvered his hand and stuck it on the table, pocketing close to two thousand dollars in chips.

"Darien," he heard Claire scold.

"What?" he said innocently.

"I saw that," she said.

"Hey, just think of it as a bonus. I'm willing to share the wealth," said Darien.

Claire rolled her eyes and continued on, letting the subject drop and letting Darien keep his stolen winnings.

They made their way to the back of the casino where John was waiting with a huge smile on his face. "Feeling better, Roy?" he asked.

Darien nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Have a seat. Let's talk some business," said John as he motioned to the seat across from him.

Darien sat down, looking at Claire and Bobby awkwardly.

Judy, who was sitting a few tables away, called out to Claire. "Shirley, come join us," she said, motioning to the other wives sitting at the table. Claire smiled and walked over to the other table.

John's burly security guard walked over to Bobby and stood in front of him, his huge frame nearly twice Bobby's size. "We got a poker game going," he said gruffly, pointing to a table filled with the rotund bodyguards

Bobby glanced at the table and nodded. "Hope you brought a lot of cash cause James Burnett is going to take it all, my friend."

"We'll see," said the man as he and Bobby walked over to the gaming table.

John snorted in amusement and then looked back at Darien with a serious expression on his face. "Look, Roy, I need to ask you a favor," he said with determination in his tone.

"Okay," said Darien somewhat skittishly.

"I need to meet your supplier…tomorrow, if that's doable. I want to get things started as soon as possible. Jack's flying in his gun source and we already have a few interested buyers lined up, so I figured why not bring you in on this too," said John.

"So basically it's gonna be like a flea market of illegal goods," said Darien.

"Well, I don't like to think of it that way, but yes, I suppose your right. Will it be a problem?" asked John with concern.

Darien stammered for a second and then shook his head. "Ah, no…it a…it shouldn't be a problem," he said nervously. "Where's this little one stop shopping center going to take place?"

"I let you know the details in the morning," said John. He stood up from the table and began walking onto the floor. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, Roy."

Darien sighed and looked up as a waitress dressed in a sequined tube top and a tight black mini skirt walked past him. "Anything to drink, sir?" she asked.

"Water," said Darien.

"Coming right up," said the waitress. As she walked away, Jack seemed to come out of nowhere, taking the chair that John had previously occupied. "Hello, Michaels."

"Hastings," said Darien nervously. He felt a presence looming over him and realized that Jack's 200 plus bodyguard was standing right behind his chair. "Nice night," he offered.

"Yeah. It seems like you're feeling better," said Jack. "I must have lost you in the bathroom."

"Oh, yeah there was a ton of people in there. Must have gotten lost in the crowd or something," said Darien, smiling awkwardly.

"Yeah, something like that," said Jack. He cleared his throat and gave Darien a pointed look.

"Tell me, did your wife lose something?" asked Jack.

"What?" asked Darien in surprise.

"An earring perhaps," he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out Claire's glittery earring. "I noticed that she's the only one not wearing the pair that Judy picked out for all the lovely ladies."

"Um…ah…" stammered Darien.

"I found it in my suite. She really should be more careful when snooping around someone's room," said Jack.

"Look, I…" Darien stopped talking when he felt something cold and hard being pressed into his back.

Jack smiled. "Let's take a walk, shall we," he said pleasantly.

Darien stood up slowly and made his way out of his chair, the gun of the bodyguard still poking him in the back. His eyes searched wildly for Bobby and Claire, but neither one of them were looking in his direction.

He was quickly led outside of the casino into a small deserted hallway.

"Hey man, come on, let's not do this," said Darien as he felt the gun being pressed even further into his back

"Cut the crap, Fawkes," said Jack.

"What?" said Darien in a shocked tone. 

"I know who you are," said Jack.

Darien's heart starting beating so loudly in his chest he thought it would explode. "Who am I?" he whispered.

"Does the name Liz Morgan mean anything to you?" asked Jack.

"Liz?" croaked Darien.

"That's right, Fawkes. About 14 years ago, Liz brought me in as a partner on a job. I got busted and you two got away clean," said Jack.

Darien's mind suddenly made the connection. "You had blonde hair then and you went by Ralph Spencer."

"Alias," said Jack. "It took me awhile, but I knew you looked familiar. You're a little older and a little thinner, but you're Darien Fawkes. At least you were," said Jack. "So tell me, how did you make the jump from thief to drug dealer.

Darien started to relax, realizing that Jack didn't know he was an agent. "A little patience and a little money. Had to change my name to something a little more respectable with no criminal record attached. You know how it goes."

"Your wife in on it too? You pulling a job here or something?" asked Jack.

"Let's just say I got other things going on. We were checking your room to make sure you weren't heat," offered Darien.

"Understandable," said Jack. "Well former thief to former thief, I'll let this one slide. But you pull something like that again, and I'll let Sabattini know. I'm sure he wouldn't be too pleased."

"Thanks man, I appreciate it," said Darien, almost completely relaxed now.

The sound of knuckles cracking caused Darien to turn around, seeing Jack's bodyguard putting on a pair of brass knuckles.

"Whoa, whoa what are you doing? I thought we were cool?" asked Darien in a panic.

"Just a little preventive measure to keep you out my room and on the level with the rest of the group. Nothing personal you understand," said Jack. He glanced at the hulking security guard and nodded. "Do him."

Darien was about to protest when he felt a metal fist hitting him squarely on the cheek. Blood started pouring down the side of his face and the wound started to burn like crazy. More hits came to his ribs and stomach, blinding him with pain and nausea. One hit caught him right in the solar plexus and all the air was forced out of his lungs, leaving him panting in a curled heap.

The large man straightened him up and landed several more painful punches to his ribs. Darien started to lurch forward and felt more blows hit his back and kidneys. He fell to the ground with a muffled groan, fighting to stay conscious.

"Tell Liz I said hi," said Jack as a blow caught Darien right above the eye. A powerful blow to his jaw sent Darien into oblivion.

"He's out," said the bodyguard. "You sure you don't want to tell Sabattini about this?" he asked Jack.

Jack shook his head and glanced at the bloody form of Darien. "No, I think he's learned his lesson. Let's get back to the casino, shall we."

The bodyguard nodded and began walking out of the hallway with Jack, leaving Darien laying in a broken puddle on the floor.

TBC


	6. Part 6

Viva Las Vegas (6/?)

By Carol M.

See first part for details

Note: The end is in sight folks. Probably another two parts at most. Little surprise for you at the end. Hope you enjoy!

Claire stared incredulously at Kathy Sabattini, unable to comprehend the words coming out of her mouth. "Five?" she asked.

"Five," said Kathy, nodding. "My nose, my chin, my breasts, my stomach, and my butt. You should have seen me five years ago. I'm telling you, plastic surgery saved my sex life," she said with a drunken laugh.

Claire shook her head and glanced over at the bar, looking for Darien. When she didn't spot him, a small frown spread across her face. She looked over at one of the poker tables and saw Bobby waving his cards in the air dramatically with all the other bodyguards looking extremely pissed off. She glanced around the casino and saw John trying his luck at the Blackjack tables. Darien was nowhere to be found. A feeling of dread grew in the pit of her stomach causing her to stand up from her chair. "If you'll excuse me for a moment," she said to the other wives. They all nodded pleasantly and went back to their conversation.

Claire quickly walked over to Bobby, tapping him on the back when she reached him. He turned around and gave her a crooked grin. "Hey Shirley, what's going on?" he asked.

Claire cleared her throat and gave Bobby a sharp look. "James, have you seen Roy?"

Bobby shook his head. "No, why?"

She stepped closer to him and leaned down towards his ear. "I'm worried something's happened to him," she whispered.

Bobby gave her a worried glance and then threw his cards on the table. "I'm gonna sit this one out boys. Keep my seat warm," he said distractedly. 

Claire and Bobby began walking around the casino, looking for any sign of Darien. Their search turned up nothing. "Where's Hastings?" asked Bobby.

"I don't know, I don't see him," said Claire, looking around the casino.

"There," pointed Bobby as he saw Jack accompanied by his bodyguard entering the casino through a side entrance. He glanced at the bodyguard's shirt and saw faint stains of blood on the sleeve. "Aw crap," he said with worry.

The pair quickly ran over to the side entrance, which led into a winding hallway. They turned a corner and found Darien's bleeding unconscious form sprawled across the carpet.

"Fawkes," said Bobby as he dashed to his partner and placed a gentle hand on his back. He felt his neck for a pulse and was relieved when he found it was steady and strong. He looked at Darien's face and shook his head in sympathy, seeing the blood and bruises. "He's out cold, Keep," said Bobby.

Claire knelt down over Darien and gently rolled him onto his back. She winced when she saw the blood running down his face and the tinge of purple that was already forming on his eye and jaw. "Darien, can you hear me?" she whispered as she ran a gentle hand down his cheek.

A weak moan was her only reply.

"Let's get him back up to the room," said Claire.

Bobby nodded and reached under Darien, carefully lifting him into his arms.

"You got him?" asked Claire.

"Yeah," said Bobby as he began following Claire down the hallway with Darien tucked in his arms like an infant. They found a service elevator and quickly entered it, pushing the button for the fifth floor. 

By the time they got back to the room, Darien was starting to come around. Bobby carefully lay him down on the bed and looked at Claire for instruction. "What do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Ice," was her reply as she began unbuttoning Darien's jacket and shirt. She quickly got them off his body and began feeling his ribs and stomach, looking for any signs of broken bones or internal injuries. He had several large welts across his ribs, some of which were slightly bloody. 

"Ahhh," whimpered Darien as she pressed on one of his ribs.

"Sorry," she said apologetically. "What happened?" she asked.

"Hastings," panted Darien. 

Bobby stepped next to the bed with a plastic bag filled with ice. "Here you go, buddy," he said as he placed the bag on Darien's eye.

Darien moaned and shut his eyes, trying to ignore the pain that even a simple breath brought with it.

"So he knows you're a Fed," said Bobby.

Darien shook his head. "No. Liz and I…we…ow…we pulled a job with him once. That's why I thought I recognized him. He was a thief," said Darien weakly. "He knows we were snooping in his room and wanted to dissuade me from doing it again," said Darien as he reached into his pocket and pulled out Claire's earring.

Claire eyed it intensely and gave Darien an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry," she said.

"It's not your fault, Claire," said Darien. "What's important is that I didn't blow my cover. Well, not completely anyway. I told him I changed my name so I would seem more respectable in the drug business. He just thinks I'm a glorified punk. He doesn't have a clue about us."

Claire nodded sadly and then glanced at Bobby. "Stay with him, okay. I need to get some supplies," she said as she picked up her purse and ran out the door.

"Damn it, Fawkes. I'm supposed to protect you from this crap. Some bodyguard I am," said Bobby.

Darien shook his head, swallowing painfully. "Forget it, man. We've got bigger problems."

"Like what?" asked Bobby somewhat hesitantly.

"Like Sabattini wants to meet my supplier tomorrow," said Darien. "We need to get somebody here pretty freakin fast."

"Don't worry about it, I've got it covered, partner," said Bobby.

Darien shut his eyes, feeling woozy and generally pretty miserable. He heard Bobby rooting around in the bathroom and then several seconds later, he felt a cold wash cloth pressed against his aching, bleeding cheek. Darien opened one eye and groaned. "Not that I'm ungrateful, Hobbes, but I think the nursing is best left to the Keep," said Darien as he felt the roughness of the cloth rub painfully against his cut.

"Yeah, well, I got to do something. I can't just sit here twiddling my thumbs," said Bobby.

Darien took a deep breath and regretted it instantly as the pain tore through his stomach. "Crap," he cursed through clenched teeth.

"Easy, just relax, okay. Claire will be back in a minute," said Bobby.

"You would think she would have brought her medical bag along. She knows how prone I am to getting my ass kicked," said Darien sarcastically.

The door to the room opened and both sighed in relief when they saw Claire enter the room armed with a bag filled with medical supplies. "Thank god the gift shop was still open," she said as she sat down on the bed next to Darien.

"I'm gonna give you two some room," said Bobby. "Gotta go find us a drug dealer," he said as he walked towards the adjoining door to his room.

"Yeah and his name better not be Super Fly," said Darien.

Bobby made a face and then walked out the door.

Meanwhile, Claire had cleared away the ice and washcloth from Darien's face and was examining the wounds. She opened a bottle of antiseptic and poured it over the cut on his cheek, causing Darien to flinch and hiss. "God, what are you using, acid?" he winced.

Claire rolled her eyes and began wiping away the blood. When she was finished cleaning the cuts, she applied bandages to the injuries.

"Roll over," she said in an authoritative tone.

Darien groaned and did what he was told, trying to mask the scream of agony that wanted to pour from his lips. 

Claire frowned when she saw the mottle of bruises marring his back. "Looks like you've got a bruised kidney. We'll have to check your urine for blood," said Claire.

"Great," said Darien.

She rolled him back over and began wiping at the bloody welts on his stomach and ribs. Then she began wrapping bandages tightly across his ribcage, trying to ignore the moans of pain coming from Darien. Finally, she took out an icepack and place it against his stomach where the bruises were the most pronounced. She picked up the ice bag Bobby had given her and placed it against his cheek, sighing slightly in sympathy.

When she was finished, she patted him gently on the shoulder and then ran a hand through his hair. "You've got a fractured rib and lots of bruises, but other than that you seem to be okay. You just need to rest," she said.

Darien looked up at her and smiled slightly. "Thanks," he said softly.

Claire returned the smile. "Don't you be so silly. It's my job," she said as she reached into the bag and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol. She left his side for a second and returned with a glass of water. "Here, take these, they should help with the pain," she said as shook two tablets out of the bottle and handed them to Darien. She placed her hand behind Darien's neck and helped him to sit up so he could take the pills. He put the pills in his mouth and swallowed them with the water, then she helped him settle back against the pillow.

"Rest okay," she whispered.

Darien nodded and closed his eyes, feeling sore and exhausted. He felt the comforter being pulled out from under him and then felt the warmth of blankets being tucked around him. He drifted into sleep almost immediately.

Claire watched him relax into sleep and then quietly knocked on the adjoining door to Bobby's room. "Bobby," she whispered.

"Come in, Keep," she heard him say. She entered the room and saw Bobby sitting on his bed talking on his cell phone.

"Sir, we need someone here now, okay. We get our covers blown and you can kiss our asses goodbye," said Bobby with irritation into the phone.

"No, no, Fawkes looks like he went 10 rounds with Mike Tyson…no the gland's fine, chief," said Bobby.

Claire rolled her eyes in anger.

"So when can he be here?… Nine in the morning? That'll have to be good enough. Thanks, sir, we'll keep you posted," said Bobby as he hung up the phone and glanced at Claire. "How's Fawkes?"

"Resting. He broke a rib, but other than that he's okay," said Claire. "What's going on? What did the Official say?"

"Sabattini wants to meet Roy's supplier tomorrow. The Fatman said he's got the perfect person in mind. Said he would be here in the morning," said Bobby.

"Why doesn't that comfort me?" said Claire sighing slightly, looking around the room. "I feel awful, Bobby," she said suddenly.

Bobby gave her a confused look. "What for?"

"If I hadn't have dropped my earring in Hasting's room Darien would be okay," she said.

Bobby shook his head. "Fawkes is tougher than he looks, Keep. He'll be fine."

Claire nodded. "So what now?"

"I'm gonna go back downstairs and maybe beat the crap out of Hastings. You stay with Fawkes. Keep your door locked," said Bobby.

"Okay," said Claire, looking at her feet.

"Hey Claire," said Bobby as he got up from the bed.

Claire looked up at him. "Yeah?"

"You're doing a good job. You might turn into a half decent field agent after all," he said as he stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. "But next time, you get to be _my_ wife," he whispered in her ear.

Claire smiled and pulled away, wiping away a few stray tears that were trickling down her cheeks.

"Thanks, Bobby."

"No problem that's what Bobby Hobbes, or should I say James Burnett, is here for," he said.

She gave him a playful shove. "Go downstairs."

Bobby gave her a large smile, grabbed his gun and then walked out the door.

Claire walked back through the adjoining door and shut it, locking it behind her. She stepped to the front door and locked it as well. She then walked towards the bed and took a look at Darien, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Satisfied, she sat down at the counter and started looking through a magazine.

Several hours later, she stepped next to the bed and began shaking Darien softly. "Darien, wake up," she whispered.

He was curled on his side with the blankets almost covering his head. His eyes fluttered open and a groan escaped from his lips.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" asked Claire.

Darien rolled over and moaned. "Not so good," he answered honestly.

Claire picked up the bottle of Tylenol next to the bed and shook out two more pills. She fetched a glass of water and then returned to his side. "Here, take some more Tylenol," she said as she put the pills in his mouth and tipped the glass of water so he could drink it. 

He swallowed the pills and then took several sips of water. When he was finished, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and relaxed back into the pillow. "Thanks," he whispered hoarsely.

Claire smiled. "You're welcome," she said. "Go back to sleep. I'm going to turn in too."

"Where's Hobbesy?" asked Darien.

"Next door. He went downstairs and had a few words with Hastings. He also found you a supplier for tomorrow," said Claire.

"Well that's something," said Darien.

"Yeah," said Claire as she stepped into the bathroom and emerged a few seconds later wearing her nightgown. She stepped over to the couch and lay down. "Good night, Darien. If you feel sick in the night, just yell and wake me up," she said as she settled deeper into the couch.

"Night," he said in a somewhat disappointed tone. He rolled on his side and sighed, unable to get comfortable. "Claire," he said.

"Yeah, Darien?" said Claire from the couch.

"Can I maybe get some company here?" he asked, patting the bed.

Claire sat up and gave him a curious look. "You want me to sleep with you?" she asked.

Darien's face flushed. "Well not sleep with me sleep with me, just sleep with me, you know," he said.

"Darien," said Claire, dragging his name out.

"Come on, please, cuddle with me," pleaded Darien. "I get lonely sometimes," he added quietly.

Claire sighed and stood up from the couch, walking over to the bed with apprehension. "All right, but Darien so help me god, you better behave yourself," she said as she climbed into bed next to him.

"Don't worry, I'm too sore to attempt anything, believe me," said Darien.

"Good," she said as she scooted behind him and spooned him from behind, wrapping an arm around his waist with her hand coming to rest on his stomach. Her face ended up buried against the back of his neck. "I'm not hurting you am I?" she asked.

"No," he whispered lazily. "Thanks."

"Go to sleep, you need to rest," said Claire.

"Yes ma'am," said Darien in a tired tone. 

Claire felt Darien relax against her and within minutes she could tell he was fast asleep. She nestled closer to him and then placed a gentle kiss to the soft skin on the back of his neck. "Sweet dreams, Darien," she whispered. Five minutes later, she too was fast asleep.

**

Claire awoke with a start in the morning. She felt a warm body next to her and her face lit up in a combination of fear and confusion. She looked down and saw the sleeping form of Darien practically laying on top of her with his head buried against her chest and his arm wrapped around her waist. To her surprise, she found that her arms were wrapped around him as well. She stifled a small laugh and then carefully got up from under Darien, trying not to wake him. He moaned for a second and then buried himself back under the covers.

She was about to go see if Bobby was awake when she heard a knock at the front door. She walked towards it curiously and opened the door. "Eberts?" she said in surprise. "What the bloody hell are you doing here? And what are you wearing?" she asked incredulously.

Eberts stepped into the room, dressed in a black leather jacket and dirty jeans with a million gold chains hanging from his neck. "Doctor, for the next day you can call me Big Boy," he said in a serious tone. "You're friendly neighborhood drug supplier," he added with an excited smile.

Claire glanced at Darien's sleeping form and then back at Eberts, shaking her head slightly. "Oh dear," she said.

TBC


	7. Part 7

Viva Las Vegas (7/7)

By Carol M.

See first part for details

Note: So this is the end of this fun little romp. Thanks for all the kind words guys! I would like to thank Miami Vice for teaching me everything I know about drug deals and undercover work. Up next, a sweet Devil's Silver story that will act as a sort of teaser to the next story in the series or a standalone third season fic that will keep you on the edge of your seats. Let me know what you would rather read next. Enough talk, enjoy the final part of this one!

Claire heard a soft knock at Bobby's adjoining door, followed by the sound of the door opening. She looked up and saw Bobby quietly entering the room. "How's Fawkes…Eberts!?" said Bobby in surprise as he stepped all the way in the room and took in Eberts interesting outfit.

Eberts smiled smugly. "Hello, Robert."

Bobby stepped to the agent and looked him up and down. "Nice jacket, Eberts. Trying out a new look?" asked Bobby.

Claire cleared her throat and gave Bobby a sharp look. "Eberts is here as Darien's drug supplier."

A look of shock spread across Bobby's face. "Uh huh, no, no, no, no," said Bobby as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "I asked the Fatman for a professional and he freakin sends us Eberts."

"Excuse me, Robert, but I am perfectly capable of holding my own in the field," said Eberts defensively.

Bobby ignored him and dialed his phone. He put the phone up to his ear and began to talk. "Chief, I think you've made some kind of mistake…sir…no sir…we need…budget? I don't care about freakin budget here, this is our lives we're talking about…sir…sir?" Bobby hung up the phone in a state of shock. "That fat bastard hung up on me."

"Wuz going on?" they heard Darien mumble from the bed. He sat up and looked around the room with blurry eyes. When he saw Eberts, he raised an eyebrow curiously. "Ebes, what are you doing here, man?"

Claire put on a fake smile and stepped to the bed next to Darien. "This is your drug supplier, Darien."

Darien gave her a disbelieving look and then his gaze drifted towards Bobby and finally towards Eberts. He glanced back at Claire and then dramatically lay back down against his pillow. "Aw crap," he murmured.

Bobby nodded. "My sentiments exactly."

A knock at the door caused them all to look at one another with mixed looks of surprise and fear. Bobby quickly stepped to the door and opened it, revealing a Star Inn employee holding an envelope.

"Compliments of Mr. Sabattini," said the man as he handed Bobby the letter. Bobby gave him a ten-dollar tip and then shut the door. He quickly walked to the bed and handed the letter to Darien, who wasted no time in tearing it open.

"Meet ten miles out, 500 yards past the Star Inn sign. 11:00 a.m.," said Darien.

"Desert," said Bobby.

"We're gonna be sitting ducks out there," said Darien, as he once again sat up and tried to get out of bed. When he stood up, his stomach and head did a simultaneous flip-flop and he would have ended up face first on the carpet if Bobby hadn't have grabbed him by the arm and pushed him back onto the bed. 

"Darien," said Claire with concern as she stepped to the bed and helped Bobby settle Darien into a laying position. "You're not going anywhere," she said firmly.

Darien moaned and closed his eyes, holding his stomach. "Keep, I kind of have to go here. I'm, the middle man…I have to…ow, crap," he said as he rolled onto his back and inadvertently stirred up the bruises on his kidney. His face clenched in pain and his head went back deep into the pillow

"Keep's right, Fawkes. You probably wouldn't even be able to stand up out there," said Bobby. "I'll go in your place."

"Hobbes," protested Darien in a whining tone.

"Fawkes," replied Bobby in a similar voice. "I want you and the Keep to stay here," said Bobby as he walked to Eberts and gave him a hard pat on the back. "Isn't that right, Eberts?"

Eberts flinched. "It's Big Boy," said Eberts.

Bobby gave him a disbeliving glance and then nodded his head. "Isn't that right, Big Boy."

Eberts grinned proudly. "Yes that's right."

"So what did you bring for us?" asked Bobby.

Eberts pulled a small plastic bag out the pocket of his leather jacket and handed it to Bobby. Bobby nodded his head when he realized it was a wire. "Good job, my friend. We can get this whole shebang on tape and get some real evidence," said Bobby as he waved the plastic bag in the air. "What about the drugs?"

"I've got them in my car," said Eberts.

"Guys, I don't know about this," said Darien from the bed. "I'm mean you're going in there alone without any backup. Maybe we should just call this whole thing off."

He looked at Claire for support and they both nodded in agreement.

Bobby shook his head. "No way, Fawkes. This is our chance to take down this group of scum sucking clowns and Bobby Hobbes is not going to let that chance slip through his fingers. We'll be fine."

Darien shook his head. "I'm going with you," he said as he slowly attempted to sit up again. 

Bobby was at his side in an instant, pushing him gently back against the pillow. "No you're not partner. You're a liability we don't need out there."

Darien looked hurt. "Oh, so now I'm a liability?"

Bobby sighed. "Don't get so touchy, my friend. I'm just saying in your current state, you would probably be more of a hindrance then a help. Just leave it to me and Big Boy over here. We'll get the job done," he said as he stepped to Eberts and put his arm around him. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have a band of criminals to bust." 

Bobby let go of Eberts and walked out the door, slamming it behind him. Eberts gave Claire and Darien a slightly startled look and then followed Bobby out the door.

**

Bobby pulled Golda up to the designated meeting spot, the wire tucked securely in the lining of his coat. He saw John and company standing in a small circle in front of a Ferrari, a Mercedes, a black van and a white truck waiting for their arrival. He glanced over at Eberts, who was staring at the cars and men nervously from the passenger's seat.

"Ready, Big Boy?" asked Bobby.

Eberts looked over at him and nodded hesitantly.

"You're playing with the big boys now," said Bobby. "No pun intended," he added. "Just play it cool and you'll be fine," said Bobby as he opened the door to the van and stepped out.

Eberts followed suit and stepped out as well, lugging a silver suitcase with him.

The pair walked over to the small group of men standing in the center of the parked cars. John and Jack eyed them both curiously. "Where's Roy?" asked John.

Bobby glanced at Jack and then his gaze fell on John. "Mr. Michaels had a little accident last night. He asked me to come in his place," he said as he shoved Eberts forward. "This is Big Boy."

Eberts stuck out his hand. "I'm Big Boy, sir," he said softly.

John shook Eberts' hand and then eyed Bobby curiously. "He's not exactly what I expected," said John.

Bobby smiled. "Don't let looks deceive you, sir. Big Boy is as bad as they come. I wouldn't want to be alone in the same room with him if you know what I mean," said Bobby, nudging Eberts slightly.

As if on cue, Eberts growled slightly and put a ferocious look on his face. He tossed the silver suitcase on the ground. "There's the drugs. Plenty more where that came from," said Eberts cheerfully.

John nodded. "Very well," he said as he kneeled down and opened the suitcase. He grinned at appreciation at the packets of white that greeted him. "Everything looks to be in order… Sam," he yelled.

John's bodyguard stepped forward with an identical suitcase. He set it next to Eberts' case and opened it, revealing stacks of hundred dollar bills. "Consider this a taste of what is to come," said John.

"Nice," said Bobby, nodding in appreciation.

John stood up and looked at Jack expectantly. "Jack, I believe you have something for me as well?"

Jack nodded. "Charlie," he said as he motioned towards a beefy looking, older man who was dressed in a finely tailored suit. The man brought forward a black suitcase, setting it next to the other two. He opened it, revealing several guns. John kneeled down and began examining the hardware. He picked up one of the guns, cocked it and motioned the others to step aside. The men stepped out of the way and John fired the weapon out into the desert. The sound of the gun going off made a harsh echo that seemed to sweep through the entire area. "Very nice," said John. "Sam."

Sam stepped forward once again, bringing up yet another suitcase. He handed it to Jack, who once again set it on the ground. He opened it up and smiled in appreciation. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Sabattini. I look forward to our continued association."

And that's when everything went to hell. The sound of a radio suddenly started playing from Bobby's jacket. "What the hell?" said Bobby as he began patting his jacket.

John was at his side immediately, along with Sam.

"I'm just trying to pick up the game," said Bobby innocently. His hand started to drift towards his holster, but it was abruptly stopped by Sam. 

"We need to check you out, Mr. Burnett," said Sam as he began patting down Bobby.

"Guys, come on, it's me, James. I'm your friend, my friends," said Bobby.

Sam found the wire and pulled it out of Bobby's jacket. Then he roughly pulled Bobby's gun out his holster. A final pat down located the gun in Bobby's ankle holster as well.

"He's heat," said Sam to a furious looking John. 

John instantly grabbed Eberts and began patting him down. "He's clean," he said after he completed the search.

Bobby gave Eberts an apologetic glance as every guy standing seemed to pull out a gun and aim it at them.

"Well gentlemen, it seems we have a small problem. Looks like we have a few cops to take care of," said John to the other men. He shook his head sadly. "I really liked you guys too," he said, glancing at Sam and Jack's bodyguard. "Get Roy and the girl. Bring em out here."

He looked back at Bobby and gave him a sad smile. "Looks like we're going to be digging a few holes. Four to be exact," said John. "I think there's some shovels in the truck."

Bobby and Eberts were dragged roughly towards the truck by Jack and Charlie. Eberts gave Bobby a terrified glance. "We're in trouble, aren't we?"

Bobby nodded. "Yep Ebes, we're pretty much screwed," he said grimly.

**

"They've been gone too long, Claire," said Darien from the bed, checking his watch. "I think we should go out there."

Before Claire had time to respond, the door to their room was kicked open by Sam and Jack's bodyguard. Jack's bodyguard trained his gun on Darien and stepped to the bed. "Ahh, Mr. Fawkes, we meet again," he said as he grabbed Darien's arm and pulled him roughly out of the bed.

Darien groaned and eyed Claire in a panic. Claire returned the look and was roughly manhandled towards the door by Sam. "Let's go visit your friends, shall we," said Sam as Claire and Darien were dragged out the door.

They were led downstairs and then put in a black van that was very similar to Golda. Darien came to rest on the floor of the van, holding his aching ribs and stomach that had been aggravated by the rough treatment of Jack's bodyguard. Claire scooted next to him and ran a hand through his hair.

"This isn't good," he said as the van started heading down the strip towards the desert.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the meeting place. Claire was pulled out of the van and shoved into the arms of Jack, who immediately put a gun to her head. Darien was pushed out of the van and landed face first on the ground, unable to do more than moan and groan. He gingerly lifted his head up and saw that Bobby and Eberts were busy digging holes. "This is like some bad mob movie," said Darien.

"Shut up," said John as he stepped forward and pulled Darien roughly to his feet. "I trusted you Roy. Or should I call you Darien."

"Hey, whatever floats your boat, man. But personally, I prefer Fawkes," said Darien. John pushed him towards the holes that Bobby and Eberts were digging. "Help your friends. The sooner you're dead and buried, the happier I'll be."

Darien glanced at Claire, who was giving him a look of terror as Jack tightened his hold on her. He then crawled towards Bobby and Eberts, eyeing a shovel laying on the ground. "Need some help, guys?" said Darien as he eyed Bobby intensely and then motioned towards the shovel.

"Yeah, buddy, help would be good," said Bobby as he got ready for Darien to make his move.

Darien picked up the shovel and quicksilvered it in one fluid motion. Then he swung the shovel as hard as he could at Sam, who had turned his back to him. The shovel hit Sam in the back and he fell to the ground completely unconscious.

The distraction gave Claire time to smash her foot down on Jack's knee causing him to lose his grip on her. Bobby took the opening and dived at Jack, taking him to the ground. A few solid punches to the face took him into dazed semi-consciousness.

Eberts followed suit and swung his own shovel at Jack's bodyguard, effectively taking him to the ground.

Darien, who was laying on the ground in a daze after using all his strength to take down Sam, was suddenly kicked in the ribs in the same area as his other injuries. He groaned and tried to swallow the bile that was rising in his throat. He looked up and saw the faces of Charlie and John standing over him.

"Hold it," shouted John to Bobby, Claire and Eberts.

The trio stopped short and looked up in horror as they saw Darien being dragged roughly to his feet by John with a gun pressed firmly against his temple. Charlie was standing next to them with his gun drawn and aimed at them.

"You try anything and he dies," said John firmly as he tightened his grip on Darien.

Bobby instantly dropped the shovel and stood up. "Let him go Sabattini, don't be stupid."

John started to drag Darien towards the Ferrari using Charlie as cover. "Just think of this as a little insurance policy," he said as he wrapped his arm firmly around Darien's waist right over his broken rib. Darien moaned and his vision started to blur out. John dragged him back further towards the car and Darien started to panic. He eyed Bobby and saw Bobby's eyes motioning downward. He nodded his head slightly, realizing what Bobby wanted him to do.

Darien quicksilvered, instantly turning invisible. The shock of not seeing Darien caused John to loosen his grip, letting Darien duck or more accurately, fall to the ground.

Bobby snatched Jack's gun from his waistband and fired at Charlie, hitting him in the leg. At the same time, Claire took Sam's gun and fired at John, hitting him in the shoulder. Both men fell to the ground, moaning in obvious pain. Bobby looked back at Eberts and pointed to Golda. "Ebes, get the cuffs man," said Bobby as he and Claire started for Darien.

Eberts nodded and ran off towards the van.

Claire knelt down next to the spot she figured Darien had landed and felt around for him. "Darien, drop the quicksilver," she said as she finally felt his body.

Darien did so with a groan and looked up at her with glassy eyes. "Did we get the bad guys?" he asked.

Claire smiled. "We sure did."

Darien returned the smile. "Oh good," he said. Then his eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out.

**

A week later

Claire finished examining Darien's abdomen and pulled his shirt back down. "Everything appears to be healing nicely Darien. You should be on active duty in another week or so," she said with a smile.

"Can't wait," said Darien sarcastically. He slowly sat up from the chair and gave her an awkward glance.

"What?" she asked.

"Umm," he said, reaching down to her hand. "I kind of need the ring back now," he said, gently slipping the ring off her finger.

"Oh," said Claire in surprise. "I forgot I was even wearing it. Kind of got used to it, you know," she said softly.

"Yeah," said Darien, clearing his throat in embarrassment. "Well," he said.

"Well," said Claire.

"I guess this means we're official divorced," said Darien.

Claire nodded. "Yeah."

They both jumped slightly as they heard the sound of the Keep door opening. "Fawkesy, how you doing?" asked an ecstatic looking Bobby Hobbes as he stepped through the door.

Darien glanced at Claire for a moment and then smiled at Bobby. "Good man. Keep said I'd be on active duty by next week. What about you? How did my fellow criminal friends make out?"

"Hastings copped a plea. Blew Sabattini right out of the water. His testimony, along with the wire and our own testimonies will put him away for good. Charlie's going to be getting some time and the bodyguards are all copping pleas of their own. All in all, not a bad days work," said Bobby.

"Congratulations boys, you did good," said Claire with a smile.

"Well now, let's not forget your roll in all of this. You helped us bring them down and you saved my life. Not bad for a nerdy scientist," said Darien.

"Hey," said Claire, punching Darien hard in the arm. "We're not married anymore, remember? You're not allowed to tease me."

"Thank god," said Bobby. "So I guess its back to the old agency grind of cheap vans, cheap wires and even cheaper fake drug dealers."

Darien smiled. "I must admit, I will miss it. For a few days, we were living the high life. Champagne, Jaguars, gorgeous women… In fact I'm thinking we should persuade the fat man to send us back. You know, bust up another ritzy titzy organization. What do you guys think? You in?" asked Darien, glancing at Bobby and Claire.

"I'm in," said Claire with a smile.

"Yeah, but next time, Claire is my woman," said Bobby as the trio started heading out the door.

"Hey, we can just take turns, you know. One assignment she's my wife, the next she's yours, yadda, yadda, yadda," said Darien as they all walked out the door.

"Guys, don't I get a say in this?" asked Claire.

"No," was the partner's simultaneous response.

Claire shook her head and stuck out both of her arms, wanting Darien and Bobby to escort her down the hall. She smiled as she felt each of them take an arm and tuck it securely in their own arms. She could definitely get used to this.

That's All Folks


End file.
